Wardens issue 918 parking tickets in two months in Stamford streets

Almost 1,000 parking fines were handed out in Stamford during the two months after council wardens were introduced.

Lincolnshire County Council took over parking enforcement powers from the police on December 3 last year.

In the two months following, until January 31, a total of 918 tickets were given to motorists for breaking parking restrictions.

This compares to 496 in Grantham and 237 in Spalding over the same period.

In Stamford £17,710 was collected in fines, compared to £10,800 in Grantham and £4,250 in Spalding.

Stamford has a population of about 20,000, while about 42,000 people live in Grantham and 29,000 in Spalding.

In Bourne, where there is ample free parking, just seven tickets were given out and only two motorists were fined in the Deepings during the period.

Parking services manager at Lincolnshire County Council Mick Phoenix said there could be several reasons for the difference in figures.

He added: “The size of Stamford and the higher density of parking restrictions there could explain the number of penalty charge notices.

“It might also be that more people report parking violations to our hotline in Stamford than they do elsewhere.

“There are differing levels of compliance with parking restrictions from town to town which would also affect the number of penalty charges issued.

“In truth, we don’t want to issue any tickets at all.

“By tackling illegal parking we just want to keep traffic moving freely, improve road safety and support local businesses.

“Any surplus money that is generated from parking enforcement is reinvested back into local transport projects.”

President of Stamford Chamber of Trade Tim Lee said the higher level of enforcement meant shoppers were more able to find parking space.

He added: “It has been noted that there are usually spaces available if you want to park during the day.”

Mr Lee raised concerns that a residents parking scheme, which is due to be introduced by South Kesteven District Council after a consultation, could lead to residents taking up more town centre spaces.